Variabilidade de cinco espécies arbóreas da região de cerrado do Brasil Central para medidas de germinação e emergência

Abstract

Basic studies of seed germination and seedling emergence assume an important role within scientific researches due to the devastation and fragmentation of the native vegetation of the Cerrado. Thus, in the present study the processes of seed germination and seedling emergency were evaluated using the linear correlations among the measurements calculated for five Cerrado species. The individual contribution for the variability of the studied species and the contribution of each species in relation to the studied group were also quantified. For this purpose, hierarchical lineal models were used to determine the genetic parameters among individuals within the species. The diaspores were collected in the 2004/2005 crops, in a fragmented area of the Araguari river valley, MG. The experiments were carried out using newly-collected diaspores, being conducted in a germination chamber for germination and in a greenhouse covered with light reducing net for seedling emergency. The data collection was carried out every 24 hours, taking into account the protrusion of the embryo for the experiments set up in the laboratory and the emergence of any part of seedling above the substratum for experiments kept in greenhouse. The variability registered among the individuals of the studied species generated statistical differences in all aspects of the germination and emergency processes, indicating that the decision to mix the diaspores or not for the formation of the lots should be made after results of previous tests. High mean values were registered for germinability (G) and emergency percentage (E) for the majority of individuals studied, indicating the good physiological quality of the diaspores produced in the 2004-2005 crop. The seed germination and seedling emergence of Anadenanthera colubrina and Chorisia speciosa and the seedling emergence of Myracrodruon urundeuva were faster and synchronized, while those of Cedrela fissilis and Lithraea molleoides were slower, asynchronous and spread over time, indicating the presence of relative dormancy. These germination and emergence patterns were confirmed by means of positive linear correlations between E and Z (synchrony) and negative between E and U (uncertainty) for the synchronous events; negative correlations between E and Z and positive and E and U for the asynchronous. For C. speciosa the synchrony of germination was also expressed by the positive association between G and v (mean germination rate). The partition of the variability allowed one to verify that the germination process and seedling emergence present a pattern behavior intrinsic to each species, with more than 60% of the total variability attributed to the species. Above 0.80 of the heritability was registered for most of the characteristics evaluated, indicating that the largest proportion of the total variability is of genetic nature. High genetic variability, expressed by the CVg and detected for time, rate, and synchrony measurements was registered between the L. molleoides and C. fissilis individuals. The magnitude of the CVg values showed that genetic variation exists in the studied species in relation to the germination and emergency processes and then they should be included in conservation projects.